Curriculum

Curriculum
Students within the CCfL have the opportunity to access a broad and balanced curriculum that allow students to maximize their learning and achieve their best.
Through the development of the CCfL we have been able to broaden our curriculum offer at both Key Stage 3 and 4 and are able to offer a greater degree of personalization leading to increased engagement.

Key Stage 3
Students undertake learning in English, Maths, Science, ICT, PSHE and citizenship, Art, History, Geography, PE, Roundhouse (drama, filming and editing), Design and Technology, Food Technology, Music.
Students have the opportunity to gain accreditation in Functional Skills Mathematics and English.
The curriculum at Key Stage 3 also prepares young people for re-integration back in to mainstream school. Reintegration is a tailored and supported process allowing identified young learners to successfully return to mainstream. Recommendations for placement back into mainstream school are made in conjunction with the school, the parent and the student and are accessed through the Fair Access Panel.

Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 we offer a variety of accreditation routes. All students follow a core curriculum of English, Maths, Science, ICT, PSD and PE.
Students develop their learning in a range of vocational and non-vocational contexts delivered within the CCfL and with our external partners. This diverse approach allows for a wide range of accreditation possibilities.
Options include: Performing Arts offered in partnership with the Roundhouse, Music, Hospitality and Catering, Sport and Leisure, Travel and Tourism, Applied Science, History, Geography, Triple Science and Media studies. In all of these qualifications students have the opportunity to accredit from Entry to Level 2.
We have expanded our vocational provision in partnership with local colleges. For example, as well as Construction with two different providers, we are now offering access to day release courses in Engineering, Catering and Hair and Beauty; all of these are fully accredited.

Provide high quality assessment and feedback of each students’ learning

Monitor and review each students’ learning targets in order to encourage achievement and ongoing progress

Provide opportunities for individual and group success

Develop each students confidence and competence across a range of learning experiences

Prepare students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life

Deliver a broad and balanced range of learning opportunities that are relevant to student needs

Provide intervention and additional support for those students who require it

Mirror a mainstream curriculum, as closely as possible

Equip students with the skills needed to successfully re-integrate back into mainstream education

Deliver high quality teaching and maintain high expectations of learning

Continue to develop and strengthen the quality teaching and learning

Collect and use each students view of the curriculum to inform how and what we teach.

Leadership of the CCfL Curriculum

The curriculum is developed, reviewed and lead by the leadership team. They work together with subject leaders, all of whom are responsible for the leadership, teaching and assessment of their subject areas.

In the majority of curriculum areas, subject leaders are specialists in their subject area, and all subject leaders work with Local Authority advisory teachers and mainstream colleagues to ensure effective planning, delivery and assessment of their subject area.

All subject leaders, along with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), attend weekly curriculum meetings to share best practice, plan for, and review developments in the curriculum.

In order to strengthen practice and monitor performance all teaching staff are observed teaching three times each year. Lessons are observed by peers, members of the senior leadership team and by our School Improvement Partner.

Literacy and Numeracy

Over the past two years there has been a whole school focus on including the teaching of literacy across all areas of the curriculum. The aims of this literacy initiative have been to and develop the skills and knowledge of all teaching and support staff to deliver and support literacy across the curriculum.

We have recently timetabled reading time for 40 minutes per week which takes place in class groups. During reading time students either read on their own or with support. They are taken out of class, on a rotational basis, to complete a 1:1 reading conference with their class teacher or mentor.

We have also introduced a numeracy initiative, which like literacy, aims to develop all teaching and support staff’s capacity to support students to strengthen their numeracy skills in different areas of the curriculum.

Speech, Language and Communication

In addition CCfL has worked with a Language and Communication specialist, who supports both teaching and support staff to identify, plan for and provide intervention for those students who have additional needs with speech, language and communication. Much of this work involved working with teachers to support them to deliver lessons that are accessible for all students.

Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium Expenditure is additional funding allocated to schools to provide targeted support for looked after Children and those eligible for Free School Meals.

The extra funding is provided to maximise the achievement of these students and to close the gap that exists between students from disadvantaged and more affluent backgrounds. At the Camden Centre for Learning we have a higher proportion that average of students who are eligible for Pupil Premium.

Parent and Student Surveys 2015/16

100% of parents at KS3 and 95% of parents at KS4
agreed or strongly agreed : ‘My child makes good progress at school’

100% of parents at KS3 and KS4 agreed or strongly agreed: ‘My child is taught well at school’

89% of students at KS3 and 84% of students at KS4 agreed or strongly agreed : ‘I feel more able to focus on my classwork’

100% of students at KS3 and 89% of students at KS4 agreed or strongly agreed : ‘My school helps me prepare for the future’